Curb construction



Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE com; CONSTRUCTION James W. Reardon, Boston, Mass.

Application September 22, 1939, Serial No. 296,079

' (o1. sai- 31) A 9 Claims.

`This invention relates primarily to highway construction, and especially to curbings or facings for sidewalks bordering a-highway proper, although capable of other uses, such as for highway lane dividers, guard rails, safety islands, gasolene lling station curbs, edgings or copings for lawns and iiower beds, and the like.

The general object of my invention is to provide a strong and durable curbing construction which is lighter and less expensive than the curbing constructionsnow in general use, and which can be accurately set with a minimum of labor and skill. y

The invention will best be understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing; It is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to the details of` construction` and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawing, since the invention as de lined by the claims hereinafter appended, may be otherwise embodied without departure from the spirit and `scope thereof.

It is also to be understood that the terms here used are for the purpose of description and not tion embodying my invention;

here shown. The panel I is preferably a metal strip having a bead along its upper edge as shown at Ia. This bead provides great strength and endurance and prevents warping of the panel.

It is often desirable to attach reectors or warn ing signs 'to the panel, and in this event, the bulging portion or bead I a running longitudinally of the strip airords protection for the sign or signal.

The supporting member C is shown in greater detail in Fig. 3. The lower or anchor member 4 has alplate l having the top surface thereof ser' at a right angle thereto. This form, while eminently suitable, is not essential, as these flanges may well be disposed at different angles. The anges 8 and 9 each have an aperture as shown at II, and the flange I0 has a jagged edge I2.

Y While the exact location of jagged edges and Fig. 2 is a view in cross section of a curbing construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view ofupper andv lower portions of one of the supporting members; l

Fig. 4 is a transverse section illustrating certain modifications;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section illustrating certain further modications.

,In Fig. 2 of the drawing, a portion of the paved surface Aof a sidewalk A adjoins a portion of the paved surface of a highway B. The level of the sidewalk A is' raised somewhat above the level of the highway B, and the vertical edge' thereof extending above said highway is protected -by a curb or facing panel I held by bolts 2 to the brace or bracket vZi of a supporting memapertures is not controlling, all of said anges should be provided with some such means, such as apertures, jagged edges, projecting lugs or the like, designed to enable the concrete or other substance in which said anchor flanges are em- 'bedded to grip them and hold them against upward displacement. The top plate 'I of the anchor l has slots I3 and I 4 through which bolts 5 extend upwardly. The bolt heads I5 which connect pass through saidlnarrow slots are permitted sliding but not rotative movement by their inclusion in the channel structures or shields I6 and Il cach comprised of side walls I8 and 'I9 and a bottom wall 20 formed integrally with said plate l. Channels may be formed in the body of the plate 'I if desired, or the shields I6 and Il may be simplified or modied' to suit the convenience, provided the anchorage material is not allowed to interfere with the bolt heads, and

the concrete, although channels may be formed in the concrete leading to the open end of the shields II-and I 1 to allow the insertion Aof bolts after the anchor has been embedded. The channel structures I6 and Il then prevent the concrete from interfering with the bolts 5, allowing them to slide as desired for the proper adjustment of the bracket 3, thereby allowing said bracket -to be placed in position after the anchor 4 has been embedded at the edge of the highway, and moved inwardly toward .the sidewalky or outwardly toward the highway or even set obliquely as expedient.

The bracket 3 comprises a horizontal plate 2l serrated on the bottom surface thereof to match and cooperate with the serrations of the top surface of the plate 'l of the anchor 4. An integrally formed vertical plate 22 extends upwardly from the forward or outer edge of the plate 2l and is braced by a fiange 23. The plate 2| is slotted as shown at 24 and 25 to allow the bolts 5 to pass through the plate 2 I. Nuts 26 are turned on the bolts 5 to hold the bracket 3 and anchor 4 xed in relative position when correctly aligned. The slots 24 and 25 in the plate 2l extend laterally at approximately. right angles to the slots in the anchor top 1. This permits the bracket 3 to be moved laterally, as well as inwardly and outwardly, thus permitting adjustment of. the bracket 3 with respect to the anchor 4 and a combination of these two lines of movement permits the bracket 3 to assume a diagonal or oblique povention, however, it is possible. to embed the anchors in merely approximate alignment, re.

quiring little time, skill and effort. My construction permits great saving in labor, as highly skilled labor is not required, and great care and effort in setting the anchors is not needed because of the adjustability provided by my construction. 'Ihe brackets and panels may be properly aligned after the anchors have been placed. The novel structure herein disclosed permits the panels to be raised or lowered with respect to the level of the anchor or the level of the sidewalk and highway, they may be moved inwardly toward the walk or out'wardly away from it, and

the brackets may be moved longitudinally of the panels if the bolt holes or ends of the panels do not precisely coincide with the position of the anchor.

Attempts have been previously made to use metal curbings but such curbings have never enjoyed commercial success because they were exsition with respect to the anchor 4. The vertical plate 22 is also slotted as shown at 21 and 28. These slotsextend vertically, thus allowing bolts 2 to be raised or lowered accordingly as it l is desirable to raise or lower'the panel I.

In th'e modified structures shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the curb 29 is a slab or panel of rock, Wood or concrete instead of metal. Any equivalent material may, of course, be used. When a shallow, bevelled curbing is desired, as where the level of the sidewalk is only a little higher than the level of the highway, then a device similar to that shown in Fig. 4 is used, but where the distance between the levels is greater, or where the curbstone is thin, hardly more thana facing, then a device like that shown in Fig. 5 is preferable. In both instances the curb 29 is held against the verticalwall 30 of a bracket 3| which is adjustably mounted on an anchor 32 in the manner heretofore described.l In this case, however, the

anchor 32 has an additional top plate 33 which l serves as a platform for the curb 29. The plate or platform 33 is supported by a brace iiange 34, the anchor then forming a structure similar to a double bracket, having two platforms and four flanges, as shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5, the relatively thin curb 29 is held to the vertical wall termine. The highway often presents irregular surfaces, and in some cases is unfinished when the curb anchors are set, and it is therefore very difcult to set these anchors accurately, so that the finished curb will be laid evenly and in line with sidewalk and highway. Once the concrete is hardened, it is practically impossible to correct mistakes of alignment without destroying the concrete post and beginning anew. With my inpensive, and could not be adapted to suit practicalA requirements. A

Stone curbings, known and used for a great many years, have never been wholly satisfactory. They are hard to align, there is a great deal of waste, as the stone must extend far below the surface of the highway, and they fail to keep in line. My modified structure, embodying the principles of my invention, permits the use of stone curbing in inexpensive quantities and with adequate protection against shifting. It is estimated that my new curbing construction has effected a saving of 50% to 75% in the cost of labor and material. This use of my adjustable supporting structure comprising a novel form of anchor and bracket, serves to illustrate clearly that the invention herein disclosed and claimed is a radical departure from the teaching of the prior art, and that it does not merely rely on the substitution of lmetal panels in place of stone. l

I claim: 1. A curbing construction for highways and the like having a series of panels and a series of adjustable supporting members therefor each comprising an anchor member and a brace member, one portion of said anchor .member forming at least one post, and another portion thereof forming a supporting table for said brace, said table having a serrated top surface adapted'to grip the base portion of said brace,

a channel groove, and a bolt adapted to slide in said channel groove and to project through said groove to connect said anchor member and said brace member.

2..A curbing construction for highways and the like having a series of panels and a series of adjustable supporting members therefor each comprising an anchor member and a brace member, said anchor member having a top plate serrated on the upper surface thereof and supported by a flanged post adapted to be embedded in a suitable anchorage material, said plate having slots therein to enable bolts to pass through said plate in any of a variety of positions` through- .out the extent of said slots, bolts adapted to project through said slots to secure said plate to said brace, said bolts having bolt-heads adapted to slide along the under surface of saidplate in proximity to said slots, and shields for enabling said bolt heads to move unimpeded by the anchorage material in which said post is embedded.

3. .A curbing support for` curbing panels, hav` Aing m' combination, an anchor member and a brace member, said brace member having va wall plate and a base plate serrated on the bottom surface thereof and having slots adapted to receive bolts from said anchor member in any of a variety of positions throughout the extent of said slots.

4. Acurbing support for curbing panels, having in combination, an anchor member and a brace member, said brace member having a base plate and awall plate, said Wall plate having vertically disposed slots, and bolts adapted to pass from said panels through said slots in any of a variety of positions along the extent of said slots to secure said panels to said brace member, said base plate having serrations on the vbottom surface thereof and slots adapted to receive bolts from said anchor member in any of a variety of positions throughout the extent o f said slots.

5. A curbing support comprising separate anchor and brace members, said anchor member having a post adapted to be embedded in anchorage material and having a table adapted to receive bolts adapted to project through said slots to secure said table to said brace, and shields for venabling the heads of said bolts to move unimadapted to receive the bolts of said anchor member in any of a variety of positions along the extent thereof to enable said brace member to be positioned in a variety of positions with respect to said anchor member.

8. A curbing support having, in combination, an anchor member and a brace member, said anchor member having a post and a table having serrations on the upper surface thereof forming a support for said brace surmounting said post,

said table having slots therein to enable bolts to pass through said table in any of a variety of positions throughout the extent of said slots,

v bolts adapted to project through said slots to cooperating slots whereby said brace member may be secured upon said table in desired adjusted position, and means for shielding said bolts to permit free movement thereof when said anchor member is embedded in said anchorage material.

6. A curbing support comprising separate anchor and brace members, said anchor member having a post adapted to be embedded in anchorage material and having a table adapted to receive said brace member, said table having grooves to receive bolts slidably positionedl of a variety of positions along the extent thereof to enable said brace member Ato 4be positioned in a variety of positions with respect to said anchor member.

9. A curbing construction having a series of anchor members, a series of curb members each having an upright panel portion and a bracket kportion adapted to engage an anchor member,

a slot in said bracketportion, a slot in each anchor member adapted to extend across the aforesaid slot and cooperate therewith, and a bolt adapted to pass through said slots to secure said'bracket members to saidanchor members in any of a variety of positions. JAMES W. REARDON. 

